What is a gastropub? Gas•tro•pub, noun \ˈga-strō-ˌpəb\: a pub, bar, or tavern that offers meals of high quality — Merriam-Webster

The three-month-old Neo “gastropub,” located in the Moss Creek Village space that once housed Upper Crust, serves up local farm-to-table “neo-classic Southern comfort food” that is 90 percent sourced from within 90 miles of our area. In fact, Neo is so proud of its local farm partners that farmers’ names are prominently displayed on the chalkboard wall in the restaurant’s dining room, among them Three Sisters Farm, Bear Island Farm, Brant Family Farm, Yahveh Farms, Sweet Grass Dairy, Flat Creek Lodge and Southern Swiss Dairy.

When owner/chef Russell Keane declares his food “local” and “fresh,” he plainly means it. I could hardly wait to look over the menu and find out in what ways Keane was putting all those local foods to use. But, things did not quite get off to the start I was hoping for and since it’s really the only negative in this review, let me get it over with: The service was not anywhere near equal to the quality or range of the food Neo offers.

I visited the restaurant for lunch, around 12:30 p.m. on a weekday. The place was packed, but clearly understaffed. The person who greeted us at the door was also our server. When asked, she could not make recommendations from the menu, saying it was hard to do without knowing what we liked. She did not engage us further, and as far as making a selection from Neo’s very expansive menu, we were pretty much left to our own devices. Perhaps the server/hostess’ lack of interest was rooted in her just being too busy to care — a shame because Neo’s menu is as exciting as it is complex and a little direction would have been helpful, if not enlightening.

For appetizers, a shrimp cocktail and a bowl of chowder were chosen — but not just any shrimp cocktail or bowl of soup came forth. At least six very substantial, crisp and cold shrimp were perched around the rim of an oversized goblet filled with a goodly amount of “cucumber peppadew pickle relish.” The shrimp appeared to be “cooked” ceviche style that is marinated in some kind of citrus juice mixture. (The acid in the citrus juice coalesces the proteins in the fish, effectively cooking it.) The relish was piquantly flavored and exceedingly unique — and for good reason.

Peppadew, which look like a cross between a cherry tomato and small pepper, is a fruit with a spicy/sweet flavor that is grown (and processed) for shipping from South Africa where it was originally discovered just 16 years ago. (Here’s some of that 10 percent Neo outsources for its menu. If you’ve never seen a peppadew before, check out the Free Bird Flatbread Pie to follow.) The chowder, brimming with blue crab and roasted sweet corn was satisfying and topped with toasted cornbread croutons — a nice addition. You could make a small meal of the chowder, but don’t — you’ll not want to miss what’s to come after. The “come after” for us was a Free Bird Flatbread (pizza) Pie and The Flying Pig shredded pork sandwich. The flatbread pie (Neo makes 11 different kinds) was visually appealing, with a taste to match.

NEO’S FREE BIRD FLATBREAD PIE

The flatbread pie (Neo makes 11 different kinds) was visually appealing, with a taste to match. Like the shrimp cocktail, it, too, held peppadews.

The pie was thin-crusted and crisp, topped with house barbecue “moppin” sauce (dark, sweet and tangy), gouda and in-house made mozzarella cheeses, grilled local free-range chicken, red onions, peppadews and fresh cilantro. It was sizeable and immensely pleasing, especially those peppadews. (When was the last time you saw a peppadew offered as a topping on one of your pizzas?) The Flying Pig sandwich was equally satisfying — a slow-cooked mountain of shredded pork (from Hunter Cattle Company) served on a brioche roll that we opted to try with Neo’s homemade buttermilk onion rings (all sandwiches are served with a choice of truffle fries, jalapeño-peach slaw, penne pasta salad, or the onion rings). The pork was melt-in-your mouth tender and bathed in just the right amount of barbecue sauce. The roll tasted bakery fresh and a good choice for sopping up the juices from the pork. The onion rings, too, were a delight — battered fried in a coating that was neither too greasy nor too heavy to overpower the sweet and mild flavor of the onion.

Lest you think we had no room for dessert, you’d be wrong. After spotting a nearby table’s imposing presentation of Raspberry Lemon Curd Cake, we went for a slice of that and also the Warm Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, both homemade. (Other homemade desserts offerings were Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Pecan Pie.) The cake was all that it appeared to be: rich-tasting vanilla cake sandwiched between layers of silky lemon curd, iced with luscious buttercream frosting and garnished with raspberry sauce. The only bummer — it was served cold. (Next time I might get one of those baby’s boxed to go and eat it at room temperature, as it should be, once I get home.) The bread pudding was dense, fabulously spiced with the flavors of fall like cinnamon and nutmeg and drizzled with whisky caramel sauce — which was just insufficient for the generous slab of pudding served, leaving the pudding a little less moist than it might have been. No biggie, though, just an observation.

Our tab for lunch for two, without beverages except for water, came to just over $50 — steep for most pocketbooks. But — and here’s the but — for your money, you are truly getting quality food that takes some doing to gather and be prepared by a Lowcountry superstar chef, who also happens to be a graduate of the venerated Johnson & Wales University. By patronizing a restaurant that strives to serve local farm-to-table fare, you are also helping to preserve the ecology and deepen the local economy. However, lastly and perhaps the most enjoyable of all, you are availing yourself one of the greatest pleasures we have — to dine out and to dine well.